


The Signs That Point To Forever

by starrynebula



Series: Reid/Amber Series [4]
Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-05
Updated: 2016-06-24
Packaged: 2018-03-29 04:55:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3883063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starrynebula/pseuds/starrynebula
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Amber Rossi and Spencer Reid are together again but before they can truly start their lives together there are more obstacles that the couple must get past. Set after "Cause You're All I Need".</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_August 2008, en route to Colorado, before “Minimal Loss”:_

            SSA Spencer Reid looked at the chess board before him contemplating the moves open to him. Though he was currently winning the game, his opponent was close to turning the control of the game to their favor. Since Gideon had left, it wasn’t a position he was used to being in. Prentiss was a good player but on any given day he should easily be able to beat her. Today though, his mind just wasn’t on the game.

            Reid picked up his rook and moved it toward the middle of the board, poising it to take one of her knights. As he let go of the piece he realized that by doing so he had left his queen open to attack from one of her bishops. Silently regretting the move, Reid tried to keep his face passive with the hope that Prentiss would not realize his mistake. It wasn’t to be, as she moved the bishop to take his queen, thus sacrificing her bishop.

            “Everything okay, Reid?” Prentiss asked, as she placed his white queen on the table next to the chess board.

            “Yeah, fine. Why?” Reid asked, taking out the knight he had set himself up to take. Even with the loss of the queen it was his best move.

            “You just don’t seem to be concentrating on the game,” Prentiss commented as she surveyed the board trying to decide on her next move.

            Reid shrugged his shoulders. She was right but he wasn’t ready to admit that out loud. He had other things on his mind other than the chess game.

            “Thinking about the situation at the ranch?” Prentiss asked, referring to the case they were heading to, as she moved her knight to a new position, unknowingly leaving an opening for Reid to put her King in check.

            “In a way, I guess,” Reid replied, as he moved his bishop to a new square. “Check,” he told her, to which Prentiss sighed realizing her mistake. “Guess I was just thinking about how religion seems to complicate a lot of things.”

            Prentiss took her eyes off the chess board and looked across the table at her fellow agent, trying to figure out what he meant by that comment. Though Reid could quote the Bible word for word, Prentiss had always felt that he looked at it and religion in general from an academic vantage point. It didn’t surprise her any, given his intelligence and the three subjects he had chosen for his doctorates. Reid had an analytical mind and a true religious belief had very little to do with facts and figures with which he was comfortable.

            “What do you mean?” Prentiss asked.

            Reid looked up to see Prentiss looking across the chess board at him. He shrugged, not sure how to put into words what he was feeling.

            “Did you and Amber have a fight over religion?” Prentiss asked, knowing that Reid’s fiancee was the complete opposite of him when it came to religious faith. One of the things that Prentiss had learned about Amber in the nine months that she had known her was that it was her religious belief that she pulled strength from.

            “No!” Reid replied quickly. So quickly, in fact, that Prentiss found herself wondering about the accuracy of the answer. Reid noticed the disbelieving look his teammate was shooting him. “Really,” he told her. “Yes the subject has come up but we both know how each other feel about the topic and we respect each other’s opinions and beliefs.”

            “I hear you’ve been going to church with Amber and Dave,” Prentiss commented, having overheard a comment made by Agent Rossi to that effect. “Does that mean that your views on religion are changing?”

            Reid shrugged his shoulders not sure how to reply to that question. Yes, he had started attending church service with Amber and her dad. Amber went three Sundays out of the month, the required Sunday that she had to put in on the base being the only time she didn’t make it. Amber had only ever made one mention of him attending with her, and that had been right after Christmas, when she had told him that should he ever feel like joining her, the invitation was always opened. It hadn’t been until May that he had ever taken her up on that invitation.

            Reid had been thinking about it for a while. He wasn’t sure how to explain some of the things that he was feeling inside, even though he had made a few attempts to talk to Amber. ~ _She’s been a great source of support_ , ~ Reid reminded himself, as he thought about how Amber always seemed to be there even when he didn’t realize himself that he needed her. ~ _I don’t think I would have made it this far without her strength. Never would have made it to the ten-month milestone, much less earn my year medallion,_ ~ he thought, as he remembered the medallion that was tucked safely within a pocket of his messenger bag, having returned John’s medallion the same night that he had gotten his. Amber had been there that night, in the back of the room, his ever present source of strength. The NA meetings had been her idea. One he had fought at first but in retrospect realized just how right she had been about it being what he needed.

             _They had been laying in bed early one morning, both trying to fall asleep after another nightmare had woke them both up. After he had confessed to her that he had thought about using the Dilaudid several times over the last week or so._

_“Spencer, perhaps you should consider going to NA meetings,” she had suggested that night._

_Spencer had found himself shaking his head, even though Amber couldn’t see the gesture in the darkness. “I’ve looked into the program. I know what the program is about. I don’t think it’s for me.”_

_“Why not?”_

_“Well, you know I don’t do well at talking in front of groups.”_

_“You can when you need to.”_

_“It seems to be targeted more toward people who are leaning toward some kind of religious faith,” Reid had told her, thinking of the list of steps he had found that mentioned God. “That’s not me, despite you grandmother’s attempts last weekend at her birthday party.”_

_Isabella Rossi, Agent Dave Rossi’s mother, had celebrated her seventy-fifth birthday. The family celebration had been a huge deal and also marked the first time that she had met her granddaughter’s fiancee. Isabella had taken a liking to the young doctor, though she had been reluctant to show that. A woman possessing a devout Catholic faith, she wasn’t happy about her only son’s daughter spending her life with a nonbeliever. The thing that scared her the most was that he would try to pull her granddaughter away from her faith. Forbid her to go to church. She had already watched that happen to her eldest daughter and wasn’t going to idly watch it happen to her granddaughter. Isabella had spent much of the evening peppering Spencer with questions, taking a small comfort in the fact that “at least his soul isn’t completely closed off” as she had whispered to Amber as they had said their goodbyes. Still, an open blessing on their union had not been offered but neither had the elderly Rossi made Spencer feel unwelcome._

_“A religious faith is not a requirement,” Amber told him. “You could still benefit from it. Benefit from being with people who have been through what you’re dealing with. Who have felt what you’re feeling I try to understand, Spencer, but I haven’t been there.”_

_He hadn’t replied to that comment and Amber had spoken again._

_“I looked into area programs. There is one that is targeted just for law enforcement personnel - Beltway Clean Cops. Will you at least consider going to a meeting?”_

_Spencer had told her he would. A week later he had been at his first meeting which had been interrupted by the case coming in. The meeting he had met John at._

_“The meeting isn’t over yet, is it?” Amber had questioned, as he climbed into the passenger seat of her pick-up after his conversation with John. She put a book mark in the book she had been reading, and tucked it beside her seat._

_“No. A case came in. I need to go in,” he had replied, looking down at the medallion he still held in his hand._

_“What’s that?” Amber asked, as she turned the key in the ignition, having noticed the medallion._

_“Help from someone who has been where I am,” Spencer had replied, still not completely understanding why John had given it to him, but touched by the gesture. He looked over at her. “Thanks.”_

_Amber nodded, a knowing smile on her face, before she looked over her shoulder and started backing the truck out of the parking space._

A couple of weeks later he had asked Amber if he could accompany her to church. Amber had simply told him she would be glad to have his company, not questioning his action. He had appreciated that fact, as he knew he would never be able to put into words what was compelling him to go. He wasn’t even sure why he was going himself, but something inside him was compelling him to go. For once in his life, he didn’t feel like questioning it. Since then, he had gone a few more times with Amber, listening intently as the priest stood at the front of the church and gave his sermon.

            Figuring the shrug of the shoulders was the only answer she was going to get from her co-worker, Prentiss looked back down at the chess board. The fact that she was in check limited her options of possible moves as whatever move she made had to put her king out of harm’s way. As she made her move, Reid spoke again.

            “I’m not really sure,” Reid ventured. “ I guess at this point I’m just trying to stay open but like I said it just seems like religion complicates a lot of things. That a lot of conflicts have a religious element to them.”

            “Be careful not to blend religion with the people who choose to pervert it,” Prentiss cautioned, as she watched Reid contemplate his next move.

            “What do you mean?”

            “Well, for the most part most religions teach about acceptance of others and forgiveness. It’s individuals who twist those principals to justify their own views. Like this situation we’re heading into. I’m not completely up on all the religious views of this sect, but somehow I doubt the abuse of children is anywhere in there.”

            Reid nodded, seeing the logic and truth in the dark-haired agent’s words. Picking up his knight, he moved it to the left three spaces, lining it up with her King. “Checkmate,” Reid replied simply, leaning back in the seat.

            Prentiss looked down at the board, quickly checking all her open moves. There were none she could make that would save her King. “Okay, getting beat three times is quite enough,” she said, as she started picking up the pieces. “Reid, whatever decision you make, do it for you and not because you’re trying to please someone else,” she ventured, not entirely sure how her younger teammate would take the unasked for advice, but feeling compelled to give it anyway. “And if you ever want someone to talk to or just need a sounding board, I’m here.”

            Reid nodded, thankful for the offer but not comfortable with opening up further to his teammate at this point. Though he had apologized to her for the times he had snapped at her while he was using, and she had accepted that apology without question, there was still a certain tension between the two of them. A tension that Reid wondered if they would ever get past.

 

 

_Station Washington, Washington, D.C. around 2 p.m. Eastern Time . . ._

            Lt. Amber Rossi was at her desk, paperwork spread out in front of her. They had spent the morning running drills out in the Potomac, and now, as the most senior officer involved in those drills, she had all the paperwork to fill out. The only plus of having to complete the paperwork involved was that she got to enjoy the air conditioning instead of being back outside in the heat and humidity on the routine patrol the others were running.

            Her telephone rang, and without looking up from the report she was filling out, Lt. Rossi picked up the phone.

            “Station Washington, Lt. Rossi speaking,” she said, in a business like tone. She wasn’t sure what type of call she was expecting but she hadn’t been anticipating hearing her father’s voice.

            “Amber, have you seen the news reports?” Agent Rossi asked, without even a hello. Amber knew something was wrong immediately.

            “No. I’ve been busy all day,” Amber replied. “What’s going on?”

            “Are you sitting down?”

            “Yes,” she replied, her thoughts immediately going to her fiancee, Spencer. He had headed out to Colorado that morning with his one teammate to investigate allegations of child abuse. Had something gone wrong? “Dad, what is it?”

            “There has been a break out of hostilities at the ranch where Reid and Prentiss were headed. Apparently the Colorado State Police went to serve a warrant at the ranch and a gun battle broke out. The news is reporting three Child Services members are trapped within the compound.”

            “Are there any casualties?” Amber asked, bracing herself to hear bad news.

            “A police officer is dead. So far, that’s the only one that is being reported.”

            Amber felt a glimmer of hope at the reply. As long as no deaths within the compound were reported then she could still cling to the hope that Emily and Reid were okay. She recalled the good-bye she had said to Spencer that morning. It was only suppose to be for a few days.

              _~Now that kiss might have been our last.~_

            The thought went through her mind unwillingly. ~ _Think positively_ , ~ she told herself, fighting back the emotions that were building up inside of her. The last thing she wanted to do was break down here at the base where her co-workers could see her. She had worked hard to earn respect among the mostly male Coasties that manned Station Washington and she wasn’t about to let even this ruin that. She would be strong for now.  _~Falling apart isn’t going to help anything_ , ~ she told herself.

            “Sweetie, we don’t have a lot of information right now, but I wanted you to hear this from me and not somewhere else. The team is heading out there now. We’re getting ready to board the plane right now. Someone will call you as soon as we know more,” he told her.

            “Okay,” Amber replied. “And Dad, stay safe,” she said, worried for her father’s safety as well as Spencer’s and the rest of the team. Her Dad. Fiancee. A man who had been like an uncle to her for many years and though the others may have started out as Spencer’s friends that had changed over the months since she came to D.C.

            “I love you,” she added, not wanting to later regret not saying the words if the worse should happen.

            “I love you too, Sweetie,” Dave replied, before ending the call.

            Lt. Amber Rossi placed the receiver in its place and stared down at the paperwork not really seeing it at all. Her thoughts were in Colorado, wondering how Spencer was. Was he hurt? Had his and Emily’s cover been blown? How did an interview with the children of the Separatarian ranch turn into this?

            “Everything okay, Lieutenant?”

            Lt. Rossi looked up to see Lt. Commander Hines, commanding officer for Station Washington, standing in front of her. Momentarily she entertained the thought of dismissing the question. Of telling her superior that everything was fine. The genuine concern she saw on his face though kept her from doing so. Instead, Lt. Rossi told Hines what was going on.

            “If you need to take the rest of the day off, we can get along without you,” Lt. Commander Hines told her.

            “No,” Lt. Rossi answered quickly, which earned her a disapproving look from her commanding officer. “I need to stay. I need something to keep my mind from thinking up all kinds of worst case scenarios.”

            “Okay,” Hines replied, understanding where she was coming from. “I want you to stick close to base though. Keep yourself occupied with paperwork and if you change your mind or you need someone to talk to, you know where my office is at.”

            “Thank-you, sir,” Lt. Rossi replied, grateful that she wouldn’t have to head home and wear a path in the living room carpet from pacing. ~ _At least not yet_ , ~ she told herself, as Hines continued to his office and Lt. Rossi looked back down at the report she had been working on before the phone call from her father.

  
  


_The airport . . ._

            Agent David Rossi disconnected the call to his daughter, and tucked the phone away in the inside pocket of his suit jacket. Ahead of him, most of the team had reached the jet and were starting to ascend the steps. Midway between him and the jet, Rossi saw that Hotch had paused and was waiting for him. Picking his go-bag up off the ground and slinging the strap over one shoulder, Rossi headed for the waiting jet. As he reached him, Hotch fell in step with his old friend.

            “How did she take it?” Hotch asked.

            “About how you would expect her to,” Rossi replied. He glanced over at his friend and saw the concern and understanding there. “She’ll be fine for now,” Rossi said confidently. “Amber is at work, and as long as she’s got that to concentrate on she’ll be fine. It’s later this evening that I’m worried about.”

            “JJ has already called Will to get him to pick Amber up when she leaves the base. It’s probably better if she doesn’t drive and she might want the company later tonight.”

            “Good thinking,” Rossi said, grateful for his friend’s foresight. The idea of having someone pick Amber up had crossed his mind, and he had even considered having one of the other agents in the office do just that but had decided against it. He didn’t think his daughter would take to well to some random agent showing up to escort her home. Granted, she didn’t know Will well, the former New Orleans detective having just recently moved to the city to be with JJ now that the two were expecting a child, but he had a feeling Amber would take to him better than one of the bureau’s agents. Having formed friendships with all his team members, Amber would accept Will’s presence as a friend looking out for another friend. Not to mention, as the former police officer dealt with JJ on a regular basis, Amber would be hard put to frighten Will off. “I should have thought of that myself.”

            “You were more preoccupied with making sure Amber heard the news from someone she knew rather than through the media. As her honorary uncle, it’s my job to think about what came after that,” Hotch said, resting a hand briefly on Rossi’s shoulder as the two reached the steps to the jet.

            Rossi simply nodded before starting up the steps and onto the jet. JJ and Morgan had already stowed their bags and were settled in seats. Morgan was pulling a lap top out of it’s carrying case. Rossi and Hotch both stored their own bags, and as Hotch headed up front to tell the pilots they were ready to go, Rossi slid into a window seat on the opposite side of the table at which Morgan was sitting.

            It wasn’t long before Hotch was sliding into the seat beside Rossi. Shortly after, the agents of the BAU felt the plane start to move. They were on their way out to Colorado to the aid of their two co-workers and friends. By the time they were in the air, the lap top had booted up and Morgan wasted no time finding the breaking news coverage on the situation they were heading into. Until they got to Colorado, there wasn’t much they could do except keep up to date on the situation out there so they were ready to hit the ground running when they reached Liberty Ranch. This time, it wasn’t only people whom they didn’t know that they were rushing to save but two of their own.


	2. Mon Ami

_Coast Guard Station Washington, Washington D.C. . . ._

            Lt. Amber Rossi put the finished report into the outbox. The afternoon had drug on, and keeping her mind focused on the paperwork in front of her had proved difficult. Her thoughts kept finding their way to Colorado and wondering what was going on out there.

            Amber looked up at the clock, whose hands were just about reaching the position of five o’clock. It seemed as if more than three hours had passed since her father’s phone call. A phone call that could possibly mark a turning point in her life. This morning she had been happily engaged, even if she had been putting off any conversations that even hinted at setting a date for the wedding. Her mother was getting married for the fifth time in a couple of weeks. Details and arrangements for that event were about all the wedding talk she could muster. Not to mention she was torn between the decision of being married in the Catholic church or not. It wasn’t that she didn’t want a Catholic Wedding but more of all the issues surrounding doing so.

            Yes, Spencer had been coming to church with her on a regular basis, but she knew he was still doing some soul searching when it came to his feelings on religion and the last thing she wanted was to put pressure on him when it came to that. A sacramental wedding in the Catholic Church had to be between two baptized Christians, and though they could still get permission for a non-sacramental wedding from the bishop, Amber was afraid that Spencer would feel pressured to be baptized to please her. That was the last thing she wanted to do. If Spencer was to share her faith, she wanted him to make that choice of his own free will. She knew she loved him no matter what.

            ~ _Now, a decision about a wedding might be a moot point, ~_ Amber thought. If something happened to Spencer out on that ranch then she could very well be planning an event very different from a wedding. ~ _Think positively_ , ~ Amber told herself, trying to banish the dark thought from her mind. She had a feeling that those two words were going to get a lot of use in a short period of time.

            Amber looked back at the clock and did some calculations. Her father had said they were at the airport ready to leave when he had called. ~ _That means they should be about ready to land out in Colorado. It’ll probably still be awhile before anyone calls me with an update_  ~. She sighed and changed her gaze from the clock to the inbox. Officially her day ended at five, but there were still a few items in the inbox, which never seemed to be empty. If she hung around, she would be able to occupy herself with paperwork.

            Lt. Rossi glanced in the direction of the base commander’s office. Somehow, after his earlier comment that she could go home early if she needed to, Lt. Commander Hines wouldn’t take to well to seeing her hanging around too long past hours.  _~He’d probably order me to go home before too long,_ ~ she mused. Deciding that she would rather avoid that eventuality altogether, Amber joined her fellow officers who were also finishing their shifts in packing things away for the day.

            “Lieutenant Rossi, you have a visitor ma’am.”

            The sound of Ensign Suarez’s voice caused Amber to look in that direction, curious as to who was there to see her. Though she had made friends with a few of the women on her street, none of them would come to the base and if it was one of her fellow officers, Ensign Suarez wouldn’t be announcing them. Other than that, everyone she knew in the D.C. area was currently in Colorado. Everyone that was except for . . .

            “Will?” Amber said, unable to keep the surprise out of her voice. She had forgotten that the former New Orleans detective had moved up here to be with JJ. “What are you doing here?”

            “I drew escort duty,” Will replied in his Louisiana drawl and a slight shrug of his shoulders.

            “I’m quite capable of getting myself home. I don’t need an escort,” Amber replied, wondering if her father had anything to do with the situation. Of course Aaron was a suspect in it too. ~ _Probably a combination of the two_ , ~ she finally decided.

            “I’m sure you are and Agent Hotchner and Agent Rossi are probably quite aware of that fact too. Still, this is a difficult situation for everyone involved, and they’re just concerned about you. Want to make sure that you’re not alone through this. Nobody should be by themselves when they’re worried about loved ones who are in danger. So, what do you say mon amie, let a fella give you a ride home?”

            Amber looked into Will’s eyes, and saw only sincerity there. That he was concerned about her being alone while waiting for news as a friend and not just someone coming to pick her up because her Dad or Aaron was worried about her. That they were trying to protect their ‘little girl’, Aaron having gotten very protective of her not long after he and her Dad started working together. She had been living with her father when Hotch had transferred to the BAU from Seattle. Her father had taken the new profiler under his wing, and they had quickly become friends both at the office and out of it. A dinner at the Hotchners had become a common occurrence by the time that Amber had returned to Texas that fall. Though it hadn’t occurred to her then, Amber had wondered in recent years if her father had confided to Aaron the reason she had been living with her father at the time. If so, none of them had ever mentioned it.

            “If you drive me to home tonight, how am I getting to work tomorrow?” Amber asked, the argument sounding weak even to her own ears. She was grasping for a reason to refuse the ride, not because she didn’t appreciate the gesture but because she was clinging to her own stubborn independence, a trait her mother always blamed on her father.

            “I’ll give you a ride back to base in the morning,” Will replied calmly without missing a beat. “It’s not like I’m currently employed and I have a busy schedule to keep.”

            Try as she might, Amber couldn’t come up with another argument, lame or not. If she hung around too long, Will might even have reinforcements in the form of her commanding officer. Besides, not having to deal with the D.C. traffic would be a nice change. Amber also had to admit that a part of her had no desire to be alone right about now. Alone would mean way too much time to think and come up with possible scenarios that could be playing out in Colorado right now.

            “Fine, I’ll accept the ride home. Thank-you,” Amber said, finding herself giving in. Taking one final look to make sure everything was in order before she left, Amber got to her feet. She walked around the desk to meet Will who was waiting for her, Suarez having made himself scarce near the beginning of the conversation.

            The two silently left the building, Amber allowing Will lead her his car. As they left Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling on which, Station Washington was located, Amber started giving Will directions. Not only was the former New Orleans detective still getting familiar with the D.C. area, he had also never been to her home before. Since he had moved up to the area, Amber had only spent one evening with him and that had been at JJ’s place when Reid and Amber had gone over for dinner. The two of them had ended up stopping for Chinese on the way there, Will having done the ordering as Amber insisted she wasn’t hungry. As Will pulled the car into her driveway, Amber glanced at the clock above the radio - 5:45.

            ~ _They should definitely be in Colorado by now. More than likely they are already at the ranch. What is going on?_ ~ Amber thought, as she pushed open the car door and climbed out of the vehicle.

            Will had grabbed the bag containing the Chinese food, and was right behind Amber as she walked to the front door of her townhouse. As she took her house key out and attempted to put it into the lock, she realized that her hand was shaking. Taking a deep breath, she let it out slowly, trying to calm herself down. The last thing she wanted to do was start crying in front of Will, whom she didn’t know all that well. She finally got the key into the slot, unlocked the door, and pushed the door open. Stepping into the house, she reached out and automatically turned the hall light on, and then entered the code to turn off the alarm system.

            Amber pointed Will in the direction of the kitchen and then excused herself to go change out of her uniform. Up in the bedroom, Amber turned the TV on and flipped through the news stations until she found coverage of the standoff in La Plata County, Colorado. The caption at the bottom of the screen read - Agents From the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Have Arrived on Scene.

            ~ _Dad, Aaron and the others are there then, ~_ Amber thought, as she grabbed a pair of workout pants and a T-shirt out of the dresser drawer. Taking her cell phone out of her pocket, she placed it on top of the dresser. As she changed out of her uniform and into the more comfortable clothes, she continued to watch the news coverage which was only repeating the same information over and over again. Information that she already knew. ~ _I actually know more than they do_ , ~ she thought bitterly, pulling the T-shirt on over her head, and picking up the remote. She turned the news coverage off and leaving the uniform draped over the footboard of the bed, she picked up her cell phone, and headed out of the room. ~ _The best thing I can do at this point is just wait for a phone call from Dad or JJ,_ ~ Amber told herself, knowing that she was going to hear about developments before the media got a hold of it.

            Reaching the kitchen she found that Will had managed to find the plates and silverware and had placed the opened containers of food on the small kitchen table, plates and silverware set up in front of the two chairs that were at the table. Will was currently closing one of the cabinets. At the sound of her footsteps he glanced over his shoulder.

            “Where are the glasses?”

            “Next cupboard to your right,” Amber told him. “Shouldn’t I be doing this?”

            “Not tonight,” Will responded without missing a beat, as if he had anticipated Amber saying that. “Have a seat. I’ll get us both something to drink and then we can both sit down and have something to eat while we wait for a phone call.”

            Too preoccupied with her worry over Spencer, Emily and now her Dad who was on the scene, Amber sat down at the table, placing the cell phone down near her plate. Mechanically, she scooped some of the food onto her plate, not really aware of what it was she was eating. Will asked her a question and as he didn’t question her further she assumed she had given him an appropriate response.

            ~ _How were Spencer and Emily being treated by the members of the cult_ , ~ she wondered, as Will placed a glass down on the table in front of her and sat down across from her? ~ _Were they taken hostage on purpose or just in the wrong place at the wrong time? Had the cult wanted hostages for bargaining chips? ~_

So far, Amber had only managed to push the food around on her plate, trying to make it looks like she was eating, but not really having an appetite. She could feel Will’s eyes on her from across the table, though he hadn’t said anything yet. Knowing that the former New Orleans detective wasn’t going to let her get away with not eating anything, Amber forced herself to eat a few bites of the Chinese food, not really tasting it.

            When her phone finally rang, she grabbed quickly for it. “Hello,” she said, answering the call without even bothering to look at who was calling.

            “Amber it’s JJ,” came the familiar voice of the team’s media liaison. “There isn’t much new to report right now, but I knew you would be anxious to hear from someone. We’re at the command center that the Hostage Negotiation and Rescue Unit have set up. Your father has taken over as the lead negotiator.”

            Amber felt mixed emotions at that piece of information. She felt relief in knowing that he dad was in charge because she knew he had been in situations like this before. He had taught hostage negotiation at the academy at one point. However, she felt uneasiness in that fact because she knew this was nothing like those other situations he had handled. Her father hadn’t known any of the people on the inside in those situations. How objective could he be? Amber knew her father cared about Spencer, and not just for her sake. The whole team thought of each other as family, just like her flight crew back in Kodiak had. People died in standoffs like these, it was inevitable and if something happened to Spencer, she knew her father would blame himself. Not to mention, what would her own reaction be? Though she couldn’t imagine doing so now, would she lash out at her father needing someone to blame?

             _~Don’t think like that. He’s going to be fine_ , ~ Amber told herself, remembering her earlier thoughts of the words ‘think positively’ becoming her mantra for the duration of this situation.

            “The state police have been sent away to try to diffuse the situation,” JJ said, continuing her report. “They’re mapping out a plan of action right now. I wish I could say we knew how Spence and Emily are, but we don’t have that information. I know they’re going to be okay though. They both know how to handle themselves in these kinds of situations,” JJ said.

            Amber knew the words were being said to help lift her spirits.  _~JJ must have caught onto my think positively mantra,_ ~ Amber thought. Out loud she said, “as soon as you know anything for sure let me know. I don’t care what time it is.”

            “Someone will,” JJ assured her. “Is Will there with you?”

            “Yes. I’m assuming you’re behind him coming to pick me up somehow,” Amber replied.

            “Just looking out for a friend,” JJ told her. “Could I talk to him?”

            “Sure, and JJ, thanks,” Amber said, knowing she didn’t have to elaborate on what she was thanking the media liaison for.

            “You’re welcome,” JJ replied.

            Amber handed the phone over to Will, who spoke briefly with JJ before ending the call. Amber tried to eat a little more of the food, before finally giving up on making the effort. She wrapped foil over the plate containing what she hadn’t eaten, and put it in the refrigerator. ~ _Perhaps, I’ll have more of an appetite later_ , ~ she thought.

            Between the two of them, Will and Amber took care of putting the food away and cleaning up the kitchen. Then they headed to the living room. Though she hadn’t asked him to stay, Amber knew Will was going to hang around for a while yet, unless she sent him away. She had no intentions on doing that. Though she never would have asked someone to come hang out with her, she wouldn’t deny to herself that she felt something calming about the southern gentleman’s presence. 

            “Is there something you two have been keeping secret from everyone?” Will asked as he sat down on one end of the couch.

            As she turned the TV on with the remote, Amber looked in his direction. Will was browsing through a pile of books on what to expect during pregnancy and parenting that Spencer had been devouring ever since he had found out that JJ was pregnant. In typical Spencer fashion, when faced with a situation that was new to him, he wanted to find out as much as he could about it.

            Amber allowed herself a small smile. “No, no secrets. No baby for us, yet. Spencer got those books after he found out JJ was pregnant.”

            “I guess I know what she meant by she had her own source of information then,” Will replied, thinking of his girlfriend’s remark when he asked her why she wasn’t reading up on her pregnancy and parenting. She had told him she didn’t need to read books when she had her own source of information. Will picked up one book in particular and held it up. “I’m currently reading this book myself,” he commented. Amber looked over to see that it was one of the books on parenting.

            “You know there are a lot of things about parenting that you’re not going to learn from a book,” Amber commented, as she flipped through TV channels trying to find something semi interesting.

            “I know but I figured the books will give me somewhere to start. I’ve always wanted a kid but I wasn’t planning on it at this particular point of my life. The one time we didn’t use protection and look what happens,” Will said. “Not that I don’t want to be a Dad. I’m excited about it but frightened at the prospect too. I think JJ is more scared at the thought of making a commitment to me than the thought of motherhood.”

            “Then you have asked her to marry you?” Amber asked, getting up the nerve to ask the question she had been wondering about since JJ admitted to seeing Will.

            “Several times, both before and after I found out she was pregnant. She keeps saying no. How did Spencer get you to say yes to him?” Will asked, putting the book down on top of the others and leaning back on the couch.

            “We almost broke up right before he proposed,” Amber admitted, thinking about the fight following the Yuletide Ball the previous December. “Don’t get me wrong. The thought of marriage still scares me. I’ve seen so many of them fall apart that part of me doesn’t think it’s possible to make them work even now. However, our careers got in the way of our relationship once before, and I guess what scared me more than even marriage was the thought of investing time and my heart into a relationship just to have that happen again. I needed to know that he wanted to make this work as much as I did.”

            “Have you set a date yet?”

            Amber let out a small laugh. “You sound like Spencer wanting to know when we’re going to discuss setting a date,” she told him. In fact, her fiancee had asked her that just a couple of days ago and once again she had changed the subject and put it off. Amber felt tears welling up in her eyes. She bit her lower lip and looked up at the ceiling, trying to will away the unshed tears. “Now we might never actually get a chance to set a date,” she finally managed to say, her voice wavering with the emotions she was trying to control.

            “Mon amie, don’t talk like that,” Will said, scooting over on the couch so that he was sitting next to her, so he could put an arm around Amber’s shoulders. “Spencer’s resilient and he’s got the best agents in the FBI working to get him out of that ranch. He’s going to be back here in no time, you’ll see, and then you’ll finally have to give in to his requests and set a date.”

            Amber nodded, reaching up to wipe away a few stray tears.

            “And perhaps the two of you can get started on putting those books to use for yourself,” Will said slyly, the comment getting the desired smile out of Amber that he was hoping for.

            “I’m more than ready to do just that. It’s Spencer that isn’t so sure about the prospect of having a baby.”

            “Yeah, well I can’t say I blame him there. Fatherhood is quite a scary prospect,” Will commented. “He’ll come around though.”

            Amber nodded, more than willing to let Will think that was indeed the reason that Spencer was unsure of having kids, Amber thought about one of the first times that she and Spencer had talked about having kids.

             _They had been at the zoo that day with Aaron and Jack. It wasn’t originally how they were supposed to spend one of the rare free Saturdays that they actually got to spend together. The original plan was for Aaron, Spencer and herself to spend the day hiking. That was before Haley had called asking Aaron to take Jack for the day even though it wasn’t his weekend. Aaron wasn’t about to say no and so the group had ended up at the zoo instead._

_She had been standing at the prairie dog exhibit with Spencer, as Aaron chased Jack, whose attention had been caught by another animal._

_“Think that could be you someday?” Amber asked as a way of bringing up the subject of having kids._

_Spencer looked from the prairie dogs to his boss and his son. The sight of Hotch and Jack enjoying time together seemed so natural. It was a joy he would like to experience but the risk of what getting there could bring weighed heavily on his mind._

_“I guess someday,” he replied._

_Amber turned to look at him. “You don’t want to have kids?”_

_“No, it’s not that,” Spencer said quickly. “It’s just that, well you know what my mom is like and we’ve discussed the possibility that with schizophrenia being genetically passed that I might . . . well, I guess I just worry about passing that further down the line.”_

_“Just because your mom has the illness doesn’t mean you’re going to get it or that our kids might get it.”_

_“But it does increase the chances.”_

_“So you’re going to let your life be ruled by what ifs?”_

_“No. Of course not. It’s just the prospects scare me. I’m just not ready to deal with that yet.”_

            She had dropped the subject then and the two had walked hand in hand to join Aaron and Jack. It had been Spencer who had brought up the subject the second time, asking about her desire to have kids. Her reply was that she did some day, when they were both ready.

            ~ _What if there isn’t a some day?_ ~ Amber thought, seeing Spencer’s smiling face in her mind. ~ _I don’t want to go on without him. He’s a part of me now. I love the life we’ve made for ourselves here._ ~

            Despite her resolve not to cry, the tears came this time. Having not removed his arm from around her shoulders, Will simply pulled her a little closer, making know effort to try getting her to stop crying. He knew that Amber needed this. That she needed the emotional release that the tears would provide.

  
  


            A few hours later, the movie that Amber and Will had ended up watching came to an end. There still hadn’t been another phone call from those out in Colorado. Amber had to restrain herself from making a call herself. She hated not knowing. She tried to stifle the yawn she felt, but it happened anyway.

            “Perhaps you should head to bed,” Will suggested. He had moved back to the other end of the couch.

            Amber shook her head. She knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep right then. Not until she knew something for sure anyway and maybe not even then. Not only would lying in bed give her time to think but it would remind her that Spencer wasn’t there with her, especially as he had been living with her since March, the two of them deciding that Spencer having things at two different places was just ridiculous. He spent most of his time away from work at the townhouse instead of his apartment anyway. His landlady, having a list of people waiting for an apartment, had happily let him out of his lease early. Though there were plenty of nights he wasn’t here, the job taking him to who knows what city or town, this was different. This time she didn’t know if he was okay or not.

            “Perhaps you should head home yourself though,” Amber suggested. “It is getting late.”

            “Do you want me to go?”

            “No,” Amber said, more quickly than she would have liked. “It’s just that I’m enjoying the company and this place would seem so empty if I was here alone. Perhaps you could stay here tonight? I’ve got the extra bedroom and JJ is out of town too?”

            “I think I can accommodate you. Wasn’t looking forward to going home to my quiet place either tonight,” Will replied, getting to his feet. “Just let me get my bag from my car,” he told her.

            Will had reached the doorway of the living room when Amber spoke again.

            “You had been planning on staying the night the whole time weren’t you?” she asked, turning so that she was looking over the back of the couch at Will standing in the doorway.

            “Guilty as charged,” Will answered with a smile. “Figured it would be so much easier if I let you ask than if I tried to suggest it to you. I know just how stubborn independent women can be.”

            Amber smiled unable to deny that if he had suggested he spend the night here she probably would have fought the idea. ~ _JJ is one lucky lady but then so am I_ , ~ she thought.

            “I’ll be right back,” Will told her, stepping out of the room and heading toward the front door.


	3. Father and Son

_“Cyrus told us that one of the children services workers had been killed, probably during the initial attack,” David Rossi had told his daughter when he had called her after finally being able to make contact with the sect leader. He was making the assumption of when Nancy Lunde was killed based on Cyrus’ claim that it wasn’t them. “The name he gave us was Nancy Lunde, the actual child’s services worker. Prentiss and Reid are still alive.”_

_Rossi had heard Amber’s sigh of relief over the phone. He hoped with that reassurance that his daughter would be able to at least get some sleep that night._

_“I’m taking supplies up to them at first light to check the situation out on the inside for myself.”_

_“Are you sure that’s the best idea? What if . . .”_

_“Sweetie, don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. Besides, I need to establish a rapport with their leader if there is to be any hope of a peaceful outcome to the situation.”_

_“Be careful.”_

_“I will. Try not to worry. Someone will call you after the supply run.”_

That conversation had taken place two hours before. Now, after everything had been prepared for the morning supply run, Rossi lay in the reclined front passenger seat of their SUV, trying to get some rest himself. Trying was the key word. He knew he needed at least a quick nap to stay sharp. To avoid making stupid mistakes. Rossi wondered if anyone else was having any luck at sleeping.

Rossi’s thoughts turned to his two teammates inside and how they were faring or if they were hurt. It was clear to the FBI agent that the children service workers had only been taken ‘hostage’ because of the State Police attack on the ranch. The sect members had reacted on instinct and tried to get everyone to safety. This hadn’t been a set up. Prentiss and Reid had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Though he was worried about both of his co-workers, Rossi couldn’t deny that he was worried more about Reid. He knew it wasn’t because he thought Reid was less capable of handling the situation than Prentiss but because he had a more personal connection with the younger agent. He could see how happy Reid and his daughter were together every time he saw the two of them together. The fact that he made his daughter happy, had earned Reid points in Rossi’s eyes but as he spent more time with him, Rossi couldn’t deny that though Amber and Reid weren’t married yet, he thought of Reid as a son already. That fact had become obvious to him back in April in West Bune, Texas.

_Hotch, Morgan and himself had arrived back at the station to find that Owen Savage had already reached the station. Owen was standing in the middle of the street, gun in hand, and Reid had been out there with him, talking to the teen. As he and his fellow agents had taken up defensive positions, Rossi noted that not only wasn’t Reid wearing a vest but the young genius wasn’t armed either. Looking over his shoulder, Reid had noted their presence and then moved putting himself in between them and Owen._

_“What’s he doing?” Rossi had asked._

_“Blocking our shot,” Hotch replied, clearly unhappy with his agent’s actions._

_Rossi didn’t remember ever feeling more relieved on the job than when Owen had placed the gun down on the ground. As relieved as he felt, he also had a sudden urge to give Reid a piece of his mind. How could he do something so stupid?! As he knew his feelings stemmed more from personal feelings than professional, he held himself in check. In front of their co-workers, or even at the local police station was not the time and place. Nor had he approached Reid on the plane trip home, letting Hotch have his discussion with the younger agent first. However, when they were back at the BAU, and everyone was getting ready to head home, Rossi had finally approached Reid._

_“I’d like a word with you in my office before you leave,” Rossi had told the younger agent. When Reid hesitated, Rossi added, “that wasn’t a request,” before heading to his office, confident that the younger agent would find his way there._

_Rossi was sitting down in his chair, when Reid walked slowly through the doorway._

_“Close the door,” Rossi instructed._

_Reid did as he was told. Even though he was the one shutting the door, Rossi noticed that the kid jumped slightly at the sound of the door closing. Reid then slowly made his way toward the desk, the look on his face clearly saying that he wanted to be anywhere other than where he was._

_“Have a seat,” Rossi said, gesturing to the chair across from him._

_“Sir, with all due respect, it isn’t your place to call me out for my actions on the case,” Reid said nervously as he sat down across from Rossi. “Agent Hotchner is my direct supervisor and he’s already spoken with me.”_

_“I’m sure he has and was probably quite stern about it,” Rossi replied. “He has a way of getting his point across when he feels one of his subordinates has crossed a line,” he added, a knowing smile on his face. Rossi had managed to cross one of those lines on his first case back. “And you’re right. It’s not my place to call you out on your actions professionally.”_

_“Then why am I here?” Reid asked._

_Rossi had thought the kid looked liked he wanted to be anywhere else other than that office right about then._

_“Because what I’m about to say has nothing to do with our professional relationship and everything to do with our personal relationship and the fact that you’re engaged to my daughter gives me every right to say that what you did out in Texas was stupid and selfish.”_

_“I’m not stupid,” Reid had countered._

_“I said what you did was stupid,” Rossi said. “Purposely blocking your teammates, who are suppose to have your back, from having a clear shot at an armed suspect. When that kid reached into his coat, I thought he was going to shoot you and do you know what the first thing that went through my head was?” Rossi paused, his unwavering gaze focused on Reid, who silently shook his head in response to the question. “The first thing I thought about was how I was going to tell Amber. It’s something I worry about with every case we go on now because if anything happens to you, I’m the one who is going to end up breaking that news to her. Did you even think about her when you needlessly put your life in danger out there?”_

_“I couldn’t see Owen shot in front of me. I couldn’t face that again.”_

_“Is this about Ryan Phillips?”_

_Reid nodded, his gaze dropping to the desk between them._

_“That wasn’t your fault. Vaughn pulled the trigger, not you. And do you really trust us that little?” Rossi asked._

_“What?” Reid asked, looking up from the desk, a panicked look on his face._

_“We were the only ones on scene Reid. Have you ever known any of us to fire a shot unless it was absolutely necessary?”_

_“No.”_

_“We all have things about this job that we take personally, I know that from experience but I’ve learned something since coming back to the bureau. I’ve learned that no matter what, I can trust this team. None of us would have pulled the trigger unless we thought you were in danger.”_

_“I know,” Reid managed to get out, his voice breaking._

_Reid had suddenly got to his feet then and strode over to the window that would have shown the bullpen if the blinds hadn’t been drawn. He stood there, staring at the blinds, arms folded tightly across himself. Rossi had waited a few moments, trying to decide the best thing to say or do next. It was when he had seen Reid reach up to wipe tears away that Rossi got to his feet. Crossing the short distance, Rossi was soon standing behind the younger man. He placed his hand on Reid’s shoulder before he spoke._

_“Son, this job has plenty of dangers that we can’t control. Everyone in the bureau, a police force, or branch of the military and their families are aware of that. Don’t go creating more dangers. You’ve got people who care about you - the members of this team, your mother, Amber, and myself. You coming home safely is more important to us than anybody our lives passes while doing this job, victim or UnSub. Try keeping that in mind the next time you needlessly put your life in danger.”_

_Reid nodded, unsure what to say. The two stood like that in silence for a few minutes before Rossi finally spoke._

_“I think its about time we head home. I’ll give you a ride.”_

_“Thanks,” was the only word the younger agent had said, and it was made without making eye contact._

Rossi sighed. This wasn’t working. His mind was too keyed up to let sleep come. Putting the seat back in an upright position, he climbed from the vehicle. As he headed back toward the command post that had been set up, Rossi let his eyes drift in the direction of the ranch.

“This is one of those dangers that are out of our control that I was talking about, Spencer,” Rossi said softly, though there was no one else to hear the words.

_~That was the first and only time I’ve called him son, ~ Rossi thought, as he averted his gaze and continued walking. ~It seemed natural at that time. I didn’t even think about using it then and I haven’t really been conscious of the fact that I haven’t used it since but we’re getting closer to that time when the term son will be accurate. Granted they haven’t set a date, but it’s only a matter of time.~_

It took Rossi no time at all for him to reach the makeshift HRT headquarters. Stepping inside, he found Hotch already there with the members of the HRT unit that were on watch.

“See you couldn’t sleep either,” Hotch commented upon seeing Rossi enter.

“No,” Rossi replied managing a forced half smile. “Too much on my mind.”

Hotch nodded in understanding.

“Where’s Morgan?”

“Probably still trying to put a good show in of trying to get some sleep,” Hotch replied. He had no illusions that the younger FBI agent was having any more success than they themselves had. ~And JJ probably isn’t getting too much sleep at the hotel but hopefully she’s at least lying down and resting for her sake and the sake of the baby, ~ Hotch thought.

Just then Torre walked into the building carrying a box. “Supplies are here,” Agent Torre announced. “We just need to get the transmitters hidden inside and ready for delivery.”

“At least we’ll have something to do,” Rossi said softly, loud enough only for Hotch to hear.

“I’ll go get Morgan,” Hotch said, in a normal voice.

 

“Why do you think one of us is a FBI agent?” Reid asked, wondering where Cyrus had gotten the idea and why he thought there was only one.

Cyrus had pulled a gun out, and Reid watched him nervously. ~This isn’t good, ~ he thought, having seen Prentiss shocked expression in the brief glance they had shared.

“God will forgive me for what I must do,” Cyrus said calmly, bringing the gun up and pointing it at Reid.

“I’m . . . I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Reid managed to get out, his eyes focused on the gun being pointed at him.

“For God’s Will,” he heard the Raphael persona of Tobias Hankle say in his mind. Part of him was no longer in Colorado. Part of him was in Georgia, being held captive there.

“One of you does. Who is it?” Cyrus asked calmly, looking straight at Reid.

The undercover agent struggled to maintain eye contact with him, even as his heart pounded in his chest. He thought of Amber. For the first time since this had all started, he really believed that he might not ever see her again.

“Me,” Prentiss said quietly, surprising Reid. “It’s me.”

Cyrus lowered his gun and then grabbed Prentiss by the hair. As he watched the cult leader drag her away, Reid wanted to do something but knew it wouldn’t do any good as Cole held a rifle pointed at him. Trying to be a hero at this point would only get him shot.

Reid sat there alone. His mind going through all kinds of scenarios that Prentiss was going to be facing. ~I should have spoken up. I should have told him it was me, ~ Reid thought, as he stared at Cole who still held the weapon pointed straight at him.

 

Once again Amber found herself sitting on the couch in the living room with Will. She had gone to work yesterday, needing something to occupy herself with. Will had driven her there without protest. Though he had shown back up that afternoon, Amber had driven herself home, the former detective following. The two had gone through the motions of a normal evening, watching the news coverage on the stand-off out in Colorado and waiting for word from her father or JJ or someone else on the team.

Though Amber had gone to her room at nine o’clock that night, Will retreating once again to the spare bedroom, she hadn’t slept well. She had spent the night tossing and turning, and catching short naps here and there. It had been the second night she had done so. Around five-thirty in the morning she had finally called into the base, telling them she was calling out. She knew her commanding officer would understand and have no problem with it, and with the amount of sleep she had gotten the last couple of days, she knew that she wouldn’t be much good at the base anyway.

Now, she and Will were watching the news coverage from Colorado again. Not much new was being said. Amber found the short calls from Spencer’s team to be more informative than the continuous coverage.

~Two days. This has been going on for two days. How is Spencer doing? ~ Amber found herself wondering. ~Dad said he was fine when he took the supplies in and that Spencer was still helping them from the inside. He’s made it this far. He’s going to make it through this ordeal. ~ Amber told herself, still trying to keep her spirits up.

Beside her, Will sat up straighter. Bringing herself out of her thoughts, Amber focused on the newscast that was on the tv screen before her.

“Latest reports are that the FBI has negotiated the release of some of the cult members from the ranch. A group of men, women and children have been released from the church where the cult members have holed up during the stand-off that is now into its third day. We will pass along further information as we receive it.”

“One way or another, it’s going to come to an end soon,” Will commented.

Amber knew exactly what he meant. She was familiar with the Minimal Loss scenario, having grown up the daughter of an FBI agent who had been involved in that scenario more than once during his career.

Amber’s cell phone rang. She reached out and picked it up, noticing her father’s number on the screen.

“Hi, Dad,” she said, answering the call.

“Sweetie, I can’t talk long we’ve got plans to make here but before we get too busy here I wanted to call. We’re going into the ranch at three in the morning. One way or another, this is all going to be over before another sun rises.”

“I’ll be praying for your safety,” Amber told him. “Be careful.”

“I will. Keep your chin up, Kiddo. I’m still trying for a good outcome to this mess.”

“I love you, Dad”

“Love you too, Sweetie,” Rossi replied, before he ended the phone call.

Amber ended the call, and placed the cell phone back on the coffee table.

“They’re getting ready to go in, then?” Will asked, having a good idea of what the phone call had consisted of from Amber’s side of the conversation and from watching her reaction.

Amber nodded, unable to speak. Will slid over on the couch, and put an arm around her shoulder. After what they had been through together over the last couple of days, the thought to resist the gesture didn’t even cross Amber’s mind. Instead, she leaned toward him, taking what strength and comfort she could from her friend.

 

A half hour after the explosion of the chapel, things were still busy on the Separatarian Sect ranch. The media was still trying to get as much information and footage as they could. A number of ambulances were on the scene, the paramedics checking everyone over and making sure no one needed further medical care. As busy as it was though, order had been returned to the scene and the stand-off was over, with only minimal casualties. The FBI agents that had been a part of the assault knew that as bad as this was, it could have been worse.

Leaving Hotch to deal with Prentiss, who was arguing with paramedics that she didn’t need to be checked out at the hospital, Rossi started through the crowd of sect members, paramedics and law enforcement personnel, in search of their two other agents. Rossi had a feeling a similar argument was probably going on wherever the two of them were, knowing that Reid would be as reluctant to go to the hospital as Prentiss.

Rossi wasn’t disappointed when he found his two team members. Morgan and Reid were standing at the back of an ambulance, the paramedic sitting in the back of the vehicle looking like he wanted to be anywhere else right about then. Rossi didn’t need to hear their words to know what Morgan and Reid were arguing about. The older FBI agent continued to walk toward the two of them.

It was Morgan who spotted Rossi first.

“Rossi, tell Reid he should listen to the paramedics and get checked out at the hospital,” Morgan said, counting on the older agent to side with him.

Though Rossi had every intention of doing just that, it wasn’t the first thing on his mind. Instead, he walked directly up to his youngest teammate, and pulled him into an embrace, something he had wanted to do since he had seen Morgan and Reid walking from the debris left by the explosion. He had held off then, knowing there had been way too many eyes on them for either of them to be comfortable with the gesture. Now though, they weren’t the focus of attention and Rossi intended to let Reid know just how relieved he was that the kid was relatively okay.

“I’m so glad you’re okay, son,” Rossi said softly as he embraced the younger man, careful not to embrace him too hard, mindful of any injuries the younger agent might have.

Reid didn’t make a response, but he did return the embrace. Though initially stiff, Rossi felt the younger man relax as he held him close. The older man wasn’t sure how long they remained that way, but he didn’t let go until he felt Reid pulling away from him.

“What did the paramedics say?” Rossi asked, looking directly at Reid as he asked the question.

Still sitting in the ambulance, the paramedic was the one that answered the question. “I think he needs to go to the hospital and get the ribs x-rayed just to be certain there aren’t any cracked bones. The ribs on the right side are tender and there is no way to be sure without an x-ray.”

Rossi nodded, his gaze not leaving Reid’s. “Then you’re doing just that,” the older agent said. As Reid opened his mouth, Rossi cut off any potential protest from the younger agent. “I can go get Hotch, but I can tell you he’s going to say the same thing I am. Not to mention, he’s having this argument with Prentiss right now so me telling him you’re refusing to follow medical advice is not going to go over well.”

“Fine,” Reid said, when Rossi stopped speaking. He knew he was outnumbered, and arguing wasn’t going to get him anywhere.

“Good,” Rossi said, as he removed his cell phone. He held the device out to Reid. “First though, I think there is a young lady back in D.C. who would really like to hear your voice.”

“At this hour?” Reid asked.

“Somehow, I don’t think she’s sleeping and if she did doze off, she won’t mind hearing from you. “

”If you don’t make that call, Kid, don’t look to me to protect you,” Morgan chimed in.

Reid took the phone from Rossi. Flipping it open, it didn’t take him long to locate Amber’s number. The call was answered after the first ring, by a desperate sounding voice.

“Dad!”

Reid felt relief flood through him at the sound of his fiancee’s voice. He had wondered if he was ever going to see her again, and just hearing her voice told him for sure that the ordeal he had faced the last few days was actually over.

“Amber, it’s Spencer. I’m okay. I’ll be home soon,” he managed to get out before his voice broke. Reid felt a hand come to rest on his shoulder and knew it was Rossi’s without even having to look. It was the presence of that hand that helped him keep the tears in check as he listened to Amber’s relieved words of thankfulness that he was okay.


End file.
